In addition to my personal testimony that Jesus radically changed my life, keeps His promises made in Scripture, and has actively made Himself known ever since?
Here’s a list of evidences for you to study out for yourself:
• The earliest resurrection creed (1 Cor 15:3–7) dates to within 2–5 years of the crucifixion. Too early for legend, and it names living eyewitnesses who could be questioned.
• All four Gospels list women as the primary witnesses. At this time in history, women's testimony was an embarrassment to the movement. Likewise, it was legally inadmissible (Josephus, Antiquities 4.8.15). No one fabricating this story in that era would have invented female witnesses.
• Jewish authorities spread the story that the disciples stole the body—a concession the tomb was empty. They never produced a body, which would have instantly ended the movement. (Matthew 28:11–15; N.T. Wright, The Resurrection of the Son of God)
• Roman soldiers faced execution for sleeping at their post. A group of frightened fishermen silently overpowering a trained guard unit is historically implausible. (Matthew 27:62–66; Craig Blomberg, The Historical Reliability of the Gospels)
• The apostles suffered torture and death for claims they personally witnessed. People die for false beliefs, but rarely for what they know firsthand to be a lie. (see Tertullian, Apologeticus; Foxe's Book of Martyrs)
• James, the brother of Jesus, was a known skeptic during Jesus' ministry (John 7:5). He subsequently became leader of the Jerusalem Church and died a martyr for proclaiming the resurrection. (Josephus, Antiquities 20.9.1; 1 Cor 15:7)
• Paul was actively persecuting and executing Christians before a dramatic reversal he attributed to a personal encounter with the risen Jesus. He transitions from well respected Pharisee to hated by Romans, Jews, and skeptic Christians alike. He does not gain socioeconomically and is ultimately put to death, all for claiming Jesus resurrected (Gal 1:13–16; Acts 9; N.T. Wright, Paul, 2018)
• The Shroud of Turin's image is a photographic negative with 3D-encoded depth data, surface coloration only 200nm deep. No known medieval dye or painting technique produces this. Studies using UV excimer lasers (ENEA, 2011) required 34 trillion watts per square meter sustained across the image to begin replicating the coloration at microscale. Likewise, blood chemistry is consistent with real wounds—includes wrist crucifixion and post-mortem serum separation. (STURP Report, 1981; ENEA Laser Study, 2011)
• Hallucinations are individual experiences. Clinical psychology has no category for 500 people sharing the same vision simultaneously (1 Cor 15:6; Gary Habermas & Mike Licona, The Case for the Resurrection of Jesus)
• Tacitus (Annals 15.44) confirms Jesus was executed under Pilate and that the movement spread. Josephus (Antiquities 18.3.3) contains a core reference to Jesus and his followers' persistence after his death. These historic records (among others) do not deny the empty tomb, instead they attempt to explain it away.
• The resurrection was proclaimed in Jerusalem, among hostile witnesses, weeks after the crucifixion. If the tomb had a body there were government officials, religious leaders, and skeptics were right there to expose it. The movement wouldn’t have survived if the claims weren’t true. (Acts 2:14–36)
Repent of your sins and believe in the risen Christ, and you will be saved!
“that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”
— Romans 10:9-10